All hot air balloon flights in Luxor have been suspended following a crash
which resulted in the death of 19 tourists, including two Britons and a UK
resident.

It is the second time that balloon tours from the Egyptian city have been suspended – in 2009 they were put on hold for six months following a series of incidents.

Egyptian authorities said an investigation would be carried out to establish the cause of Tuesday’s tragedy, which also killed nine people from Hong Kong, four from Japan, two from France and one from Belgium.

After previous crashes, balloon operators were accused of taking to the sky in unsuitable weather. The Egyptian Aviation Authority set up a dedicated balloon take-off zone, and ordered 42 pilots from eight tour operators to be retrained before permitting flights to resume.

The latest incident has sparked fresh questions about the safety of the tours, with some British operators suggested that a decline in visitors to Egypt, and recent political upheaval, has seen balloon safety neglected.

John Roudoni, managing director of Whicker’s World Ltd, said: “In a country where people are struggling with the bare necessities of everyday life how much emphasis is going to be placed on balloon safety?”

He added: “Our industry is sufficiently mature but in a lot of countries it’s about backhanders, corruption and paying off officials. Before long you find it’s so and so’s son flying who only has 20 hours’ experience.”

Arthur Street, director of Aerosaurus Balloons and also of the British Association of Balloon Operators, pointed out that UK balloons fly using propane gas – which he said is not readily available in other countries. “Ground crews mix butane up with other things which can be quite dangerous,” he added.

Operators in Egypt have also been cutting prices to attract holidaymakers. A flight over the Valley of the Kings costs £85 per person compared with around £200 for a flight in Burma, with the only operator, Balloons over Bagan.

Brett Melzer, co-owner of Balloons over Bagan, said: “With adventure activities you get what you pay for, and if it’s too good to be true it probably is," he said. "Done properly ballooning is not a cheap activity. A global benchmark is £150-£300. That’s where it should be."